A antique Japanese silk kimono & more

Late 19th century Japanese handmade silk Kimono

The first six days of the new year has been very lucky in finding bargains on antiques especially Asian Antiques. Yesterday I bought a two tone Lemon gold leaf American frame circa 1870 for 8 dollars. I have a large collection of 18th & 19th century mostly French engravings waiting for a period frame. I was happy to find out that my early 19th century French Empire engraving of Cupid and Psyche fit very well into the frame. I have own the Cupid and Psyche engraving for years looking for the perfect period frame for it and now I have it. I also have old wavy glass with small bubbles in it that I will cut myself and frame this lovely engraving.

After I bought the frame I stop by a thrift store I had not been by in months. I picked up 3 large goose down filled pillows at three dollars each that I will recover in a 18th century style French silk Scalamandre lampas, the fabric is French powder blue with garden sprig flowers. Over the years I have bought lot's of high end Silk Lampas by Scalamandre on ebay for pennies on the dollar. It comes in handy for lot's of projects like recovering small chairs and pillows. Scalamandre fabric is very high end and costly. Most decorators that order it just about always order more them needed for a project and often sell of the unwanted fabric at good prices.



I hit a few thrift stores every morning religiously. At the first stop this morning I bought two sets of Moiré silk Pompadour pink curtains with matching cornice drapes at $12.00 a window! they will look great in my guest bedroom! The next stop produced a antique silk Japanese Kimono. The Kimono was a big surprise as I was heading to the magazine rake when I passed by clothing and a hand embroidered slightly faded sleeve caught my eye. As I held up the amazing robe I quickly noticed that the colorful pattern silk fabric on the robe was not machine woven but hand embroidered! also the robe is sewed by hand in Blind stitch that is much more delicate and smaller then if done on a machine.As a person that sews by had I could appreciate the time love and thought that went into making this piece.



Clothing at the store is always 50% off of the ticket price and as I looked over the price and realized I would be getting this piece at the discount I ran to pay for it. I don't know much about Asian Antiques but my little expertise in Antiques fabrics and sewing technics I would date the kimono from the Turn-of-the century 1890-1910 time period or older. The fabric on the ends of the sleeves is the first thing that caught my eye as it looked like 18th century French Chinoiserie! It is more faded then the other fabric on the robe and is of a different weave then the other silk fabrics that make up the Kimono. The end sleeve fabric is backed in light green with hand embroidered flower sprigs, bugs, water lily and pads and butterfly's. After doing quick research on Kimono's I found that using older fabrics or pieces of old Kimono's to make new one was not uncommon.



The kimono is a Japanese traditional garment worn by women, men and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" (ki "wear" and mono "thing"), Kimonos made with exceptional skill from fine materials have been regarded as great works of art. Kimono fabrics are also frequently hand made and hand decorated. The Kimono appears to be backed in hand woven hemp.

Two tone Lemon gold leaf American frame circa 1870 I bought for 8 dollars

Cupid and Psyche fits nicely in the American gold leafed frame

Early 19th century French Empire engraving of Cupid and Psyche

Late 19th century Japanese lacquer footed tray decorated with hand painted carts and lot's of gold leaf I bought last weekend

Late 19th century Japanese handmade silk Kimono

Detail of whimsical hand embroidered designs on Kimono

Detail of whimsical hand embroidered designs on Kimono

Detail of whimsical hand embroidered designs on Kimono

The end sleeve fabric is backed in light green with hand embroidered flower sprigs, bugs, water lily and pads and butterfly's. It looked like 18th century French Chinoiserie fabric.

The end sleeve fabric is backed in light green with hand embroidered flower sprigs, bugs, water lily and pads and butterfly's. It looked like 18th century French Chinoiserie fabric.

Detail of whimsical hand embroidered designs on Kimono

Detail of whimsical hand embroidered designs on Kimono